Absentee ballots vulnerable in Gaston?

Published: Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 11:15 PM.

Hastings said he recently spoke with Rep. Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, a leader on the House Elections Committee, about the lack of additional safeguards for the mail-out voting process.

“Tim mentioned that they discussed the issue in committee and thought it was best to try to eliminate voter fraud, even though some will continue to try to violate the law,” he said in an email.

Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, agrees that additional safeguards to protect against absentee voting fraud would be ideal. He suggested requiring absentee voters to write their Social Security number on their ballot or on the material they mail in, to confirm they are who they say they are.

Gaston County Republicans have joined other GOP leaders across the state in championing tougher voter ID laws, they contend, to ward off the slightest possibility of election fraud.

Their proposals have focused on requiring voters to present a photo ID, or some other form of identification, when casting a ballot in person. But few suggestions have emerged for guarding against fraud in the absentee mail-out voting process.

That’s surprising, officials say. Because while there is no evidence of any systemic voter fraud in North Carolina, absentee voting is much more likely to be abused by people who want to subvert the law.

“It’s been my experience here with our complaints and investigations that 98 percent of the problems related to ballots, period, have to do with the mail-ins,” said Marshall Tutor, an investigator with the N.C. State Board of Elections. “There are some checks and balances in place, but all in all, mail-in absentee ballots are where there’s a potential for problems.”

The supposed risk of voter fraud has been more intensely debated around the country as of late. Pennsylvania and South Carolina are among the numerous states that have sought — with varying success — to impose tougher photo ID requirements at the polls.

Republicans argue the new measures are needed to restore confidence in the voting process, and to protect against any chance of the system being exploited. They reason that photo ID is required to handle any number of basic tasks in everyday life, and it shouldn’t be an undue burden for any voters.

Democrats argue that the photo ID push is politically motivated. They say it is nothing more than the modern day equivalent of a voter literacy test, which would add hurdles to the process of voting and disenfranchise minorities, seniors and other groups. They see the voter ID push as a calculated attempt to encumber blocks of Democratic voters.

Swearing to your identity

Any registered North Carolina voter — or their near relative or legal guardian — can request an absentee ballot by mail. They must fill out the ballot and return it to the county board of elections by the deadline.

The voter must also sign and return an affidavit, attesting under penalty of perjury that they are who they claim to be, Tutor said.

“The voter signs the return envelope, and a witness has to sign it too,” he said. “It can be a husband, neighbor or total stranger. But they’re basically saying, ‘I saw so-and-so sign this ballot and put it in the mail.’”

The all-Republican Gaston County Board of Commissioners has unanimously endorsed the need for a new voter ID law. But Commission Chairman Donnie Loftis said while he sees the need for making that a requirement for people voting in person, he doesn’t see how it

could be done for the absentee mail-out process.

“What do you do, make them take a picture of themselves and say, ‘This is me?’” he said. “That’d be kind of difficult.”

Loftis said he feels the affidavit absentee voters must sign is adequate enough to discourage fraud on that end.

“In some respect, there’s already accountability,” he said. “But if someone wanted to get around the system, they could do it.”

Absentee voting most at risk for fraud

Tutor emphasized that voter fraud has never been a widespread problem in North Carolina. People who think it’s more of an issue are unfamiliar with the safeguards the state elections office has in place.

“It’s mainly because people don’t understand the workings of our system,” he said.

But if there’s any area that’s open to trouble, it’s mail-out absentee voting, Tutor said.

“The bottom line is, as things are now, there’s nothing we can do on the mail-out/absentee side to guarantee that the person who sent that ballot in or requested it is the person who marked it,” he said.

Martha Kropf, a political science professor at UNC Charlotte, said the push for voter ID requirements here seems to be “a solution in search of a problem.” Noting statistics that show the majority of people who vote by absentee ballot are conservatives, Kropf said it’s

“convenient” that Republicans are not focusing on the potential for fraud there.

“If you’re going to commit voter fraud, you would probably have the lowest probability of getting caught by doing it by mail, rather than in person,” she said. “To me it is sort of contradictory. It seems to be something policy makers are conveniently forgetting.”

Legislators weigh in

Sen. Kathy Harrington, R-Gaston, could not be reached for comment on this story last week. But she issued a statement about her opinion.

“Requiring voters to show a photo ID will boost confidence in the election process and I expect the Legislature will revisit this issue next session,” she said. “I will advocate for the strongest safeguards to ensure all votes — cast in-person and through mail-in absentee ballots — are legitimate.”

Harrington offered no specifics on how safeguards to the mail-in ballot process might be added.

Rep. Kelly Hastings, R-Gaston, said there are already adequate measures built into the mail-out absentee ballot process to ward off fraud.

“There are multiple steps and there are actual addresses and a paper trail involved,” he said in an email. “The ballots have to be mailed to an actual address and there are potential federal crimes involved when the U.S. Postal Service is used.”

Hastings said he recently spoke with Rep. Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, a leader on the House Elections Committee, about the lack of additional safeguards for the mail-out voting process.

“Tim mentioned that they discussed the issue in committee and thought it was best to try to eliminate voter fraud, even though some will continue to try to violate the law,” he said in an email.

Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, agrees that additional safeguards to protect against absentee voting fraud would be ideal. He suggested requiring absentee voters to write their Social Security number on their ballot or on the material they mail in, to confirm they are who they say they are.

“I don’t think you can just say we don’t have to worry about absentee voters needing to confirm their identity,” he said. “There has to be some type of verification to protect the whole process. If you don’t take up the absentee process too, it leaves a gaping hole.”

But Torbett said he would probably support legislation that required voters to present ID, even if the absentee process weren’t addressed immediately.

“At this point in time, I probably would,” he said. “But I’d be very hopeful we could include a validation of the absentee voting process.”

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMik